CO Electroreduction: Current Development and Understanding of Cu-Based Catalysts

Electrochemical synthesis of value-added chemicals from CO and H2O powered by renewable energy is a promising technique to supplement, if not eventually replace, the Fischer-Tropsch process, which requires high energy input (i.e., typical temperatures of 200-400 degrees C and pressures of 10-200 atm) and large-scale reactors that are difficult to match to the disperse renewable energy sources. Moreover, this technique is also ideal for implementing the electroreduction of CO2 using a tandem strategy because many catalysts can convert CO2 to CO with high efficiency. However, the direct reduction of CO2 to more valuable hydrocarbons and oxygenates is hindered by the lack of efficient catalysts. This perspective highlights the current understanding and progress of CO electroreduction from both experimental and computational approaches. The challenges that must be overcome for further development are also identified and discussed.